We have a very relaxed afternoon routine at my house. There's a good chunk of time for quiet reading, naps for the littlest one, and focused work time for me. Eventually the kids may wander outside to play in the backyard.
But when chore time rolls around, we are not necessarily eager and enthusiastic about getting around to work. Sigh. That includes me. When I'm being intentional, I'll take note of this and do the one thing that is guaranteed to lift our moods, make the work go twice as fast { Read more... }

Last week was a stressful week for me. I was over-committed, had an unexpected catastrophe, and cranky kids. After dinner one night I took my crabby toddler upstairs for a bath, deciding to leave the kitchen in an after-dinner whirlwind.
Usually we all clean up the kitchen together, but I deemed an early bedtime more important than following the usual routine. My husband was away and I was too tired to supervise the other kids to clean up.
When I finally made it downstairs two hours later, I { Read more... }

Are you tired of talking about chores yet? I promise, we're almost done with this topic. :)
For many years, my kids have used what we call a “Morning List.”
Right after breakfast, they are sent to do the chores on the Morning List. Each kid’s list is tailored to his age and responsibilities. It should take about 10 minutes and it covers things like:
making the bed
brushing teeth and getting dressed
cleaning a sink or a toilet
tidying up a room
feeding the cat and the gecko
taking { Read more... }

For what seems like the 10th time today, I'm frustrated at one of my kids. I am ashamed to admit that I have yelled way too much this morning.
After a week of sickness (me and various children), a night of interrupted sleep, and cold weather that has kept us inside, I am ready to snap.
It's not a nice place to be and I know I need to do something about it fast.
I need a break from my kids.
No, I'm not going to take off for the weekend. I don't have the luxury of an on-call { Read more... }

Do you feel like you are the only one in your house who does any chores?
Does it seem that there are just not enough hours in the day to keep up with the laundry?
Do your kids make mess after mess?
It doesn't have to be this way.
In this series on teaching your kids to do chores, I'll show you how we do this at our home.
Why Teaching Your Kids to do Chores is Like Paying Your Mortgage
Two Critical Reasons Kids Should Learn to do Chores
How to End Complaining Over Chores { Read more... }

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